Why We Die
by TheRedeemer1995
Summary: Five years after his apparent death while stopping Team Flare from using a superweapon to destroy the world, Ash Ketchum returns, but not as the charming young man he used to be, but rather as something else. Something decidedly not human anymore. He returns as death and destruction incarnate. He returns as... Yveltal. Amourshipping. Xerneas x Yveltal


_**Greetings, prospective readers! Welcome to my very first Pokemon project! I must admit, I am very, very excited about working on this ambitious project! I'm hoping it'll become a great success! Anyways, enough talk, let us begin again!**_

 _Prologue: The Death of Ash Ketchum_

 _What dies is never truly dead, but rises again greater and more terrible than ever before.-Unknown._

Two people entered the elevator through the concealed entrance of Team Flare's Secret HQ in Geosenge Town. One was a boy who looked to be in his mid teens with shoulder-length black hair and deep brown eyes wearing a red and white cap, a blue and white jacket with a black shirt underneath, navy blue, pants, a black bracelet of some kind on his right wrist, and red and black sneakers with a Pikachu bearing a grave expression on his shoulder. The second was a girl of around the same age wearing a red fedora, a black blouse, a red skirt with a white lace trim, black knee socks, and black shoes. The boy was named Ash Ketchum, and hailed from Pallet Town in the Kanto Region, and held his dream of becoming a Pokemon Master near and dear to his heart. The girl was named Serena, who had her own dream of becoming a Pokemon Performer that she herself held near to her heart.

The two had met some time ago when Serena had been attending a Pokemon Summer Camp in the Kanto Region when she had gotten lost in a forest looking for a Poliwag and hurt her knee. Ash, who had been looking for the same Poliwag, came across her and wrapped a handkerchief around her injured leg, and told her "Don't give up until it's over."

Serena and Ash had reunited after Serena had seen Ash on a news report in Lumiose City trying to calm a Garchomp down. She'd gone to Professor Sycamore and asked about him. He'd confirmed her suspicions and given her a starter Pokemon, Fennekin. Not long afterward, Serena managed to catch up with Ash, who then invited her to travel with him.

As they journeyed together, Serena found herself thinking about Ash more and more. Finally, she realized that she may have a crush on the boy who'd saved her all those years ago. But, she didn't dare voice it, for fear of rejection, reasoning that maybe Ash had been taken by someone else.

Ash pressed a button on the console in front of them, and the elevator started to descend. As it did, Ash's face turned beet red, and he looked as though he wanted to say something.

"Serena…" he said, sounding nervous as he spoke.

Serena turned to look at Ash. "Yes, Ash? What is it?" she asked.

 _Go on, man, tell her!_ said Pikachu, his words coming out as "Pika, pika!" while he nudged Ash, who started to babble incoherently.

"I, uh, I, I, I, uh…"

"Yes? What is it?" said Serena, who started to develop a sneaking suspicion.

Before Ash could say anything further, the elevator reached the bottom and the doors opened, revealing the central command center of the hideout.

"Never mind, it can wait," said Ash as he and Serena moved forward to confront the leader of Team Flare, the man called Lysandre.

Lysandre, who had a fiery orange mane of hair and a beard, which made him look something like a Pyroar in Ash's opinion, wore a black jacket with orange lining, black pants, black combat boots, and black fingerless gloves, stood with his back facing Ash and Serena as he looked out an observation window that allowed him to gaze upon the firing mechanisms for the doomsday weapon that had burst forth from the ground above them.

"The ultimate weapon's flower has finally bloomed above the soil," said Lysandre, sensing that Ash and Serena were right behind him. "Don't you find its beauty captivating? As we speak, it draws its energy from the Legendary Pokemon, Yveltal."

"We're not letting you use the ultimate weapon!" said Ash defiantly.

Lysandre chuckled. "Even though ressources, space, and energy on this planet are limited, the number of people and Pokemon on this planet have increased to an unsustainable level. Whether it's money or energy, the ones who steal are the ones who win in this world."

"I know a few people who'd disagree," said Ash.

"Pika!" said Pikachu in agreement.

"Either way, that still doesn't give you the right to destroy everyone but the ones Team Flare chooses!" said Serena.

"So, tell me…" said Lysandre as he turned to face Ash and Serena. "The Mega Ring. Did you share it?"

"That was different! We completed for it, but-" said Serena before Lysandre cut her off.

"But what?"

Serena went silent at that, finding herself at a loss for words as Lysandre continued his monologue.

"When there is only one of something, it can't be shared. When something can't be shared, it will be fought over. And when something is fought over, some must survive without it. The only way to create a world where people live in beauty, a world without conflict or theft, is to reduce the number of living things."

"What about Pokemon?" asked Serena.

That question shook Lysandre to his core, causing him to fall speechless as tears welled up in his eyes before they began to fall.

 _Tears… but why?_ thought Ash.

"Pokemon…" said Lysandre, trying with everything he had to maintain his composure. "Shall no longer exist. Pokemon are wonderful beings. Humans have worked with Pokemon and we have helped each other flourish. But, precisely because of that, they will inevitably become tools for war and theft!"

Before either Ash or Serena could say anything further about what Lysandre had just said, Lysandre cried out "Enough of this! You wish to stop the ultimate weapon, and I refuse to do so! So, I will keep you busy for just a moment longer! Go, Mienshao!"

With that, Lysandre threw a Pokeball, and from it emerged Mienshao, who took a stance similar to a praying mantis.

"Go, Hawlucha!" yelled Ash as he threw a Pokeball of his own, and from it emerged Talonflame.

"Mienshao, use High Jump Kick!" yelled Lysandre

"Hawlucha, dodge it and used Acrobatics!"

As Mienshao leapt into the air, ready kick Hawlucha in the face, Hawlucha avoided the attack and dealt a flurry of blows so fast that it looked as though the Pokemon was nothing but a blur, before finally Mienshao went flying into the observation wall where it slid down, unconscious.

Lysandre growled in frustration. "Mienshao, return!" he said as a beam of red light fired out of Mienshao's Poke Ball, struck Mienshao, and pulled it into the Pokeball, before Lysandre grabbed another Poke Ball and threw it.

"Go, Gyarados!"

From the Pokeball emerged a large, blue, sea monster-like Pokemon, growling and roaring in such a threatening manner that Hawlucha began to feel a little intimidated.

"Gyarados, use Outrage!" commanded Lysandre.

"Hawlucha, watch out!" yelled Ash.

Before Hawlucha could avoid the attack however, Gyarados' Outrage attack hit it with full force, sending it flying back and crashing into a computer console, knocking it out cold.

Ash growled in frustration. "Hawlucha, return!" he said, calling Hawlucha back to its Pokeball before turning to Pikachu. "Ready, Pikachu?"

"Pikachu!" said Pikachu, leaping into the battlefield.

Lysandre growled. "Gyarados, use Outrage!"

"Pikachu, dodge it and use Thunderbolt!" yelled Ash.

"Pika!" said Pikachu as it jumped up on the side of the wall before jumping off again towards Gyarados, evading Gyarados' Outrage attack as it barreled through the command center, damaging equipment and forcing the Grunts and scientists present to dive for cover.

Gyarados reeled back from the recoil that the attack seemed to have caused. Seeing his opening, Pikachu called upon the electricity that was pumping through him and fired a devastating lightning bolt at the sea monster with a cry of "PIIIIIIIKKKKKAAAAAACHUUUUUU!"

The electrocuted Pokemon flew back towards Lysandre, who dove out of the way as it crashed into and further damaged the Observation Wall behind him.

"Gyarados, return!" yelled Lysandre as he recalled his Pokemon. "Go, Pyroar!"

A lion-like Pokemon emerged out of Lysandre's Pokeball as Ash gave Pikachu the instruction to return. "Go, Greninja!"

A frog-like Pokemon emerged from Ash's Pokeball, and it took a combative stance.

"Pyroar, use Hyper Voice!" yelled Lysandre as Ash yelled "Greninja, use Water Shuriken!"

Pyroar unleashed a powerful roar that sent shockwaves flying towards Greninja, who, true to the "ninja" part of his name, leapt out of the way of the attack and somehow summoned water and formed it into a giant ninja throwing star before launching it at Pyroar, who was knocked unconscious from both his natural weakness to water and the impact of said water.

"You're really getting on my nerves, boy!" snarled Lysandre as he recalled Pyroar. "Go, Honchkrow!"

A large crow-like Pokemon emerged from Lysandre's Pokeball as Ash recalled Greninja and sent Pikachu back out.

"Honchkrow, use Night Slash!" yelled Lysandre.

"Pikachu, thunderbolt!" yelled Ash.

As Honchkrow attempted to use his Night Slash attack, Pikachu jumped up into the air and fired another mighty lightning bolt, that, like it did with Gyarados, rendered Honchkrow unconscious.

Lysandre scoffed as he recalled his Pokemon. "The strength to protect, huh? But what are you really protecting? A tomorrow that will end up being worse than today?"

"There may be bad things and bad people in the world, but that doesn't mean everyone in the world is evil, and that almost certainly doesn't mean they deserve to be wiped out," said Ash.

Lysandre chuckled. "You're as strong as ever, Ash. But, it's too late. There's no hope left for you, now. Go down to the lowest floor and see for yourself!" said Lysandre as he threw a smoke bomb and disappeared.

Serena walked up to Ash, a fearful look on her face. "What do you think he meant by that?" she asked him.

"I don't know, but I think we need to get down to the bottom floor and stop whatever's going on down there. Come on," said Ash before he took off running with Pikachu and Serena following right behind him

 _..._

A short time later, after dealing with several Team Flare Grunts and Administrators that tried to prevent them from getting down to where Yveltal was being held, Ash and Serena arrived at a large door bearing the Team Flare insignia.

Serena walked up to the door and inspected the lock. "Damn. It's an electronic lock. What should we do, Ash?" Serena asked, to which Ash could only shrug.

"Perhaps I can be of assistance!"

Ash and Serena looked behind them to see that two people who looked very similar to one another were making their way towards them. One was a boy with a sandy blonde bowl haircut and glasses behind which were electric blue eyes. He was also wearing a pale blue and orange jumpsuit of some kind with black work boots and a backpack carrying all sorts of electronic gadgets and gizmos. The second was a girl and could only be the first boy's younger sister. She had shoulder-length sandy-blonde hair and had blue eyes like her older brother. She wore a black blouse with a white skirt, blue jeans that stopped at her knees, black socks, and pink shoes.

"Clemont! Bonnie! What are you too doing here?" asked Serena.

"I hypothesized that you two would need my assistance in recovering the Legendary Pokemon from Team Flare, and it looks like my theory was correct," said the boy, Clement as he took off his backpack and and fished around in it before pulling out a small device. "I originally created this to solve puzzles, but if my calculations are correct, it could also be used as an electronic lockpick."

Clemont walked up to the large door and placed his device in front of the lock. After a few moments, the device had managed to break through the lock, although it broke in doing so.

"All right, everyone! Get ready, Yveltal's on the other side of this door. Let's go and save him!" said Ash as the quartet made their way through the door.

There, sitting on a pedestal that was hooked up to tubes that were flowing with red and black destructive energy, was what appeared to be some kind of gray egg or cocoon.

"We're in the deepest part of the Headquarters," said Serena, who sounded a little short on breath. "It's somehow hard to breathe in here…"

"Hey, is that thing on the pedestal the Legendary Pokemon?" asked Bonnie. "It doesn't look like it's alive, but…"

Clemont walked towards a gauge of some kind and looked at it. "Guys… this machine, whatever it is, it's drained 99% of Yveltal's power! We need to shut it down!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth, however, than a cry of some kind came from the cocoon, causing everyone present to take a step back.

Bright blue light was emitted from the cocoon as it began to wobble and shake violently. Energy that was the same color as the light coming from the cocoon appeared and began swirling around it faster and faster as a yellow sphere of energy encompassed the cocoon, before, finally, it hatched, and from it emerged Yveltal, a large, red and black predatory bird of some kind that was shaped just like the letter Y.

As Yveltal spread his wings, it destroyed the tubes that were siphoning its energy from it before landing in front of the astonished group of adventurers, and looked at each one of them in turn, before settling on Ash, who couldn't help but feel more than a little afraid as this massive bird of prey gazed down upon him. Yveltal made a noise that sound like some sort of thanks.

"Uh… y-you're welcome?" said Ash nervously.

Yveltal then turned around and bent down, apparently inviting Ash to climb upon his back.

Before Ash could say or do anything else, however, a voice called out, "Not so fast!"

Ash, Yveltal, and the rest of the gang turned to face the entrance of the room and found Lysandre standing there, clad in some kind of Mecha Suit and a visor similar to the ones his minions wore.

"What a startling development! I never would've thought you were really a chosen one!" said Lysandre.

"You know, they wrote a whole prophecy about me being the Chosen One. There's this one part of the Johto Region where the people there have a festival based around it," said Ash, looking utterly unafraid as he looked upon Lysandre.

Then, much to everyone in the room's shock, Yveltal moved to stand in front of Ash, protecting him.

"So _this_ is the mighty Yveltal?! I expected more from a Pokémon called a legend! You desire help from people? _You_ need help from a human?" said Lysandre in disbelief.

"Wh-what's going on with that outfit?! Lysandre, is that really you?" asked Bonnie. "Oh, whatever. Ash already beat you twice, what are you doing here?"

"For me, victory is using the ultimate weapon," said Lysandre, apparently not hearing Bonnie."In order to do that, I need to reclaim the Legendary Pokémon's power and send it to that weapon once again. I'll be taking the Legendary Pokémon back now! This time, I won't lose. I, too, shall use the Mega Ring and Mega Stone that you researched during your travels!"

With that, Lysandre threw out his first Pokemon, Mienshao. It didn't stand a chance against Yveltal. Following Mienshao in defeat, one after the other, were Pyroar and Honchkrow. Not even Lysandre's Mega Gyarados stood a chance against this unleashed and probably very angry legendary monster.

"Whaugh!" cried Lysandre as the last of his Pokemon was defeated. "It's over... Fools with no vision will continue to befoul this beautiful world. They will go on until the only thing left to do is squabble over the remaining scraps of hope..."

"Um…" said Bonnie walking forward to face Lysandre. "You know what I think? Even if there's a little bit of something, I still think it's best to share it."

Serena nodded in agreement. "You even managed to use Mega Evolution, that's because Gyarados shared its power with you, isn't it?"

"And not just Gyarados, but your other Pokemon, too," added Ash. "You can't use the ultimate weapon any more, right? You don't have to worry about the future all by yourself."

Serena nodded. "I think everyone should work together to create a better, beautiful world."

"If that were possible, all wars would have ended long ago! I can only see one future! One where selfish, foolish humans think about nothing other than themselves and steal more and more from one another... It's a tragic future," said Lysandre, his eyes closed. "The original purpose of this device was to bring a Pokémon back to life. But the ancient king transformed it into this ultimate weapon…" he continued as he looked around at the useless weapon before him.

"Hmm. When the Legendary Pokémon awakened, it took back much of the power that had been sent to the ultimate weapon. There's not much power left... But there _is_ enough to use it once..."

That sent off all sorts of alarm bells for Ash and his friends. "No, don't do it, Lysandre!" said Ash.

"The ultimate weapon is a flower that bloomed to no avail... Just like me... But this ends here! I will show what its remaining power can do! FIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRE!"

Above ground, the blossom of the ultimate weapon began to charge up energy, causing the Team Flare headquarters to begin shaking like a child's rattle, and begin to crumble and fall apart. One particular piece of rubble struck Yveltal in the head, knocking it out cold.

"Let's get out of here!" yelled Ash before he and his friends began running for the entrance elevator, desperate to get out of the base, and not caring or paying attention to where they were going, only that they needed to get out of here, and fast.

When Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie reached the entrance elevator, Ash skidded to a stop and looked around and realized that someone was missing.

"Where's Serena?!" yelled Ash, fear and panic in his voice.

"She must've fallen behind!" yelled Clemont.

"Come on, Ash, we need to go!" yelled Bonnie.

Ash stood there, thinking it over for all of a few moments before he made his choice. "Wait here, I'm gonna go back and get her," he said, tossing his Pokeballs to Clemont.

Pikachu, Clemont, and Bonnie started to protest, but it was too late, Ash was already gone with the wind, tearing through the halls of Team Flare's Secret Headquarters like a Crobat outta Hell, looking for the one he loved.

During his Pokemon journey, there had been several girls, and maybe a Pokemon, who'd found themselves crushing on Ash Ketchum, including Serena, who Ash knew had feelings for him. But, unlike the others, Serena was the only girl he'd ever actually developed feelings for as well.

It wasn't long before Ash found Serena, pinned underneath a large piece of rubble, screaming and crying for someone, anyone, to come and save her.

"Serena!" yelled Ash as he darted over to her side.

"A-Ash!" Serena wailed, her voice hoarse from all the screaming she'd been doing. "You came back for me!"

"Every time," said Ash as he started to try to lift the piece of rubble Serena was trapped under. Then, finally, he uttered those magic words.

"I love you, Serena."

Serena made a shuddering gasp at this news as more tears ran down her face, these ones coming from joy. "I love you too, Ash." she sniffled as she helped Ash lifted the rubble high enough that she could squeeze through.

Once she was free, Serena did something Ash never expected. Then again, given the current situation, nobody could've seen it coming. Serena threw her arms around Ash and kissed him, full on the lips. Although he was surprised initially, Ash closed his eyes and allowed himself to enjoy his first kiss, even as chaos erupted all around them. There was nothing else that mattered but the two of them.

It took another large piece of rubble falling nearby to jar them out of their little piece of heaven. Quickly pulling themselves apart, Ash said, "Run for our lives now, kiss later. Go! I'm right behind you!"

Serena, who was blushing the same shade of red as a Pokeball, nodded and took off running. Ash made to follow, but was knocked unconscious by a piece of falling rubble that landed directly on his head.

As Serena ran for her life and practically jumped into the elevator, her hand slammed the button to ascend. Safe for the moment, Serena looked around, sure that the man she suspected was now her boyfriend would be right behind her.

Except, he wasn't.

With a feeling a growing horror, Serena began to panic. "We have to go back down, we have to save Ash!" she yelled as she frantically tried to press the down button on the control console, only to find that it had been damaged by the Headquarters' collapse. It was a miracle that the up button was even working.

Finally giving up her efforts, Serena fell to her knees and began to weep. Realizing what was going on, Pikachu's eyes began to well up with tears, even though he knew that tears wouldn't save the human he'd come to see as a mixture of father and brother, ever since that Spearow attack from what felt like so long ago this time. They had been virtually inseparable, even as Ash prepared to tackle a new league in a new region, Ash always brought him along. And now, he'd never get to know what other regions, what other worlds were out there.

The elevator reached the top and opened its doors just in time to see the ultimate weapon fire its laser into the heavens.

 _..._

Meanwhile, back in what was left of Team Flare's Secret Headquarters, Ash came to. Looking around, he knew that his friends had more than likely taken the elevator to escape, and they weren't coming back for him. But, there had to be another way out, there had to be.

Then Ash had an idea. There was another way out. it was a bit of a Hail Mary, but what other choice did he have?

 _I can escape here through the hole the ultimate weapon made in the roof or ground or whatever… on the back of Yveltal,_ thought Ash as he ran as fast as he could back to the room where he'd last seen Yveltal. Upon his arrival, the first thing that Ash saw was that Lysandre was nowhere to be found. Only his Mecha Suit and visor were left behind.

Looking around, Ash saw that Yveltal was starting to regain consciousness. Running over to the downed avian, Ash began shaking the Pokemon, trying to get it to wake up.

"Come on, Yveltal! We gotta get out of here! Now!" said Ash.

As the Legendary Pokemon opened its pale blue eyes, it made a soft growling noise. Ash climbed up on Yveltal's back, but before the massive bird could take off through the hole with its new friend aboard his back, the both of them saw what looked like a large red laser or energy beam headed right for the ultimate weapon.

"Oh, shit."

Ash's final scream seemed to mingle and fuse with the cry of pain and sadness that left Serena and Pikachu when the laser hit the ultimate weapon and destroyed it in a massive explosion of Yveltal's energy, fire, and shrapnel. As smoke rose into the sky and emergency personnel arrived on the scene, Serena, exhausted from the whirlwind of emotions she'd been feeling the space of a few minutes, collapsed on the ground and passed out.

 _ **And so it begins again. Be sure to tune in next time as we take a look at how Ash's "death" has affected everyone five years after the fact, and while you're at it, why not fave, follow, and review?**_


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